Chair with foldable tablet arm

ABSTRACT

A folding chair of the Y type has an offset post fixed to its rear leg for supporting the rear end of a tablet arm. The front end of the tablet arm is collapsibly supported on a transversely fulcrumed brace. A lock holding the front of the tablet arm against collapse is released by slightly lifting the tablet arm and tilting it to an on-edge position, whereupon the front end of the tablet arm may be lowered along its brace toward storage position.

' United States Patent Hendrickson et a1.

[ Jan. 8, 1974 [541 CHAIR WITH FOLDABLE TABLET ARM 3,099,479 7/1963 Banke 297/162 2,925,123 2 1960 M 297 162 [75] Inventors: Philip J. Hendnckson; Richard J. I organ Resch, both of Green Bay, Wis. Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell [73] Assignee. Krueger Metal Products, Inc., Green Attorney wheeler House & wheeler Bay, WIS.

[22 Filed: Mar. 1, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 230,946 [57] ABSTRACT f Application Data A folding chair of the Y type has an offset post fixed [63] Conmuam" 0f 1969, to its rear leg for supporting the rear end of a tablet abandoned' arm. The front end of the tablet arm is collapsibly supported on a transversely fulcrumed brace. A lock [52] U.S. Cl. 297/162 holding the from of the tablet arm against collapse is {51] lllt. Cl A47!) 39/00 released y g y lifting the tablet m and tilting it [58] Field of Search... 297/155, 160-162 to an omedge position, whereupon the from end of the tablet arm may be lowered along its brace toward [56] References Cited Storage position UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,954,073 9/1960 Junkunc 297/162 9 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 8I974 sum 1 [IF 2 6 N s 2 a Tax u Nfim vw WE? T .o T udm A D x eH Md 9, 5 H p PAIENTEDJAN 8|974 SHEU 2 OF 2 3,784,249

INVE NTO 2.5 1666 629 .J. 255 Ch l /wup J. HsA/oe/cKsa/v CHAIR WITH FOLDABLE TABLET ARM This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 886,174 filed Dec. 18, I969 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many foldable chairs which have foldable tablet arms. In some instances, the tablet arm and the frame of the folded chair are interlocked so that folding of the chair brings about the folding of the tablet arm. One of the objects of the present invention is to enable the tablet arm to function independently of the chair structure and to provide a novel support for both ends of the tablet arm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To make the manipulation of the tablet arm independent of manipulation of the seat of the folding chair, the rear end of the tablet arm is connected by a double hinge with a fixed offset post carried on one of the rear legs. A brace is connected to the chair for movement on a transverse axis. In practice the brace is attached to right angles to a rock shaft for which both front legs of the chair provide bearings beneath the level of the chair seat. A locking member having a pivotal connection comparable to a universal joint with the tablet arm is rotated mechanically when the tablet arm is tilted on edge from operative position after first being lifted to release the locking member. When the tablet arm reaches a vertical plane, its motion will have been transmitted to the locking member to rotate the latter about the axis of the brace to relieve the locking member of support from the brace and'to permit it toslide along the brace as the tablet arm is lowered to storage position. The brace, meantime, is caused to rotate with its rock shaft. After the brace crosses the center line of the arm, the direction of slide of the locking member is reversed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front three-quarter perspective view of a folding chair embodying this invention and having its tablet arm elevated and in a position for use.

' FIG. 2 is a three-quarter front perspective view of the same chair showing the tablet arm lowered and in a position for storage.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view, parts being broken away.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the tablet arm and portions of the chair frame, with the seat and some frame portions shown in section.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the parts shown in FIG. 4, with portions broken away.

FIG. 6 is a view taken in section on the line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view taken in section on the line 7-7 0 FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view taken from the view point of 88 in FIG. 4 but with the tablet arm in a vertical plane and in a partially lowered position.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the universal joint fitting which connects the brace to the tablet arm, parts being broken away.

FIG. 10 is a front elevation on a reduced scale showing the chair and tablet arm folded for storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown, the chair is typical of a style known to the art as a Y type folding chair. The front legs 10 extend upwardly above the seat 12 and are interconnected above the back 14. In the particular construction illustrated, the seat 12 is pivoted upon rivets or the like 16 carried by prefabricated bosses 18 attached to the inner sides of the respective legs. Rear portions of seat 12 are pivoted at 20 (FIGS. I and 5) to the rear legs 22, such rear legs being connected with the front legs by braces 24. In the position of the parts in which the chair is erected for use, the upper ends 26 of the rear legs 22 abut the rear surfaces of the front legs 10. When the seat 12 is swung upwardly upon its pintles 16, the rear legs 22 are constrained to fold inwardly so that the seat and both the front and rear legs lie in parallel planes for storage. Lowering the seat causes the rear legs to move from the plane of storage to the suppoting positions in which they are shown in the drawings. As thus far described, the construction is generally conventional.

The tablet arm 30 on such a chair is desirably movable between four positions. In the position of use shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the tablet arm is rigid and horizontal. Through manipulation presently to be described, the tablet arm may be swung first to a second position in which it is in vertical plane as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 and fragmentarily illustrated in full lines in FIG. 8. When it reaches this on-edge position, it may then be lowered to the third position shown in FIG. 2. In a sense, this is astorage position in that it is not available for use and is simply swung out of the way to permit ready access to and departure from the seat. The fourth and final storage position is shown in FIG. 10. It involves merely the pivoting of the storage arm on a vertical axis from the position of FIG. 2 into parallelism with the parts of the folded chair after the latter has been collapsed as above described.

To enable the tablet arm to be movable between these several positions and without requiring separate manipulation of a lock, the following mechanism has been devised for tablet arm support.

The rear end 32 of the tablet arm 30 is connected by a double hinge with a post 34 which is welded to one of the rear legs 22 and offset as best shown in FIG. 3 to clear the linkage 24 and to project upwardly above the upper end 26 of the leg. The double hinge comprises a boxlike hinge element 36 connected by a transverse pintle 38 with the post 34 near its upper end. A second hinge element 40 is connected by a fore and aft pintle 42 with the hinge element 36 and is fastened by screws 44 to the under side of the tablet arm 30 as best shown in FIG. 5. The two pintles 38 and 42 are at right angles to each other, the pintle 42 being longitudinally parallel to the plane of the under surface of the tablet arm 30 and pintle 38 being transverse but still parallel with said plane.

The front end portion 46 of the tablet arm is releasably locked to a pivoted brace 48 to receive support from the front chair legs 10. The brace 48 is connected to the end of a rock shaft 50 upon which it is oscillatable from the supporting position of FIGS. 4 and 5 to the storage position of FIG. 2. The rock shaft is oscillatable in the bearing elements 52 attached at a level below the seat to the respective legs 10. Near the free end 54 of brace 48, remote from its connection with rock shaft 50, the rock shaft is provided with a cross pin 56 which sustains the tablet arm when the tablet arm is in position for use as shown in FIG. 5. In this position of the parts, the ends of the pin 56 are engaged in notches 58 of a lock sleeve 60 which is rotatable and slideable on the brace 48. From the notches 58, a pair of communicating channels 62 at opposite sides of the lock sleeve 60 lead to the axially extending channels 64 opening to the end of the lock sleeve 60.

In order to release the lock sleeve from the locked position shown in FIG. 5, in which the ends of the cross pin are engaged in respective notches 58, it is necessary to lift the lock sleeve slightly in order to register the channels 62 with the ends of the pin 56. When this is done, the lock sleeve 60 may be rotated in a manner hereinafter described to register the longitudinal channels 64 with the cross pin 56, whereupon the sleeve will slide along the brace 48 through the intermediate position shown in FIG. 8 to allow the parts to reach the position shown in FIG. 2.

The lock sleeve 60 is not required to be directly manipulated by the operator. A universal joint best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 transmits motion from the tablet arm to the locking sleeve to release the lock when the tablet arm is turned on edge and to engage the lock as the arm is lowered for use. A transverse bolt or pin 66 pivots to the lock sleeve 60 and the arms 68 of yoke 70. The yoke comprises a plate or partial disk 72 rotatable within a bearing ring 74 attached by fastening elements 76 to the under side of the tablet arm 30. Rotation is on an axis normal to the face of the tablet arm. When the tablet arm is pivoted from the full line position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 to the on-edge position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3, rotative motion is transmitted through the yoke 74 to the locking sleeve 60 to rotate the locking sleeve from the position of FIG. 6 to register the ends of pin 56 with the longitudinal slot 64 in the sleeve. As already noted, this can be accomplished only after the tablet arm is raised slightly to disengage the ends of cross pin 56 from the notches 58.

Once the cross pins are in registry with the longitudinal channels 64, the tablet arm will readily swing downwardly upon the pintles 38 at its rear end. As it swings, the sleeve will disengage itself from the cross pin 56 as shown in FIG. 8 and the sleeve will continue to move down the brace 49, causing the brace to oscillate on rock shaft 50 to the position shown in FIG. 2.

The initially horizontal pintle 42 connecting the pintle 40 with the hinge element 36 is now substantially upright and the rotation of the yoke 74 and the lock sleeve 60 has left the pin 66 upright and in substantial axial alignment with the aforesaid pin 42 at the rear end of the tablet arm. Accordingly, after the component parts of the chair have been folded for storage, the tablet arm 30 can be folded in front of them about the pintles 42 and 56 as now aligned. As folded, it reaches the position shown in FIG. 10.

When it is desired to restore the chair to use, the tablet arm 30 will first be unfolded to the position of FIG. 2. Thereupon the legs and seat of the chair can be erected as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The tablet arm is then oscillated upwardly upon pintle 38 by which it is connected to the post 34. The locking sleeve will move freely up the brace and is constrained to register its channel 64 to receive the ends of the cross pin 56. The tablet arm will still be in its on-edge position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. When it is oscillated upon its pintles 42 and 66 toward the horizontal position of use shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, motion will be communicated through the pintles 66 to the locking sleeve 60 to oscillate the latter toward the locked position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

We claim:

1. The combination with a folding chair having front and rear legs with the upper end of said rear legs abutting said front legs when said chair is unfolded for use, and means pivotally connecting said legs, and a seat, of a tablet arm having a brace supporting it from a front leg, a post connected with the rear leg and offset laterally therefrom and projecting beyond the upper end of said rear leg, and means at the upper end of said post pivotally connecting said tablet arm to said post to afford movement of said tablet arm between a generally horizontal position of use, a position alongside the unfolded chair and a collapsed storage position generally parallel to said seat.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which said means at the upper end of said post pivotally connecting said tablet arm to said post comprises a double hinge connecting said arm with said post, said hinge including hinge elements and connecting pintles which are at right angles to each other for accomodating tilting movement of'the tablet arm with respect to the post and vertical swinging movement of the tablet arm with respect to the post.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which the tablet arm is provided with a sleeve axially reciprocable upon the brace, the sleeve and brace having interacting pin and groove means for locking the sleeve to the brace when the tablet arm is in'a position for use, and means universally connecting the sleeve with the tablet arm for transmitting motion from the tablet arm to the sleeve for actuating the sleeve in locking and releasing directions of movement with regard to the brace.

4. A combination according to claim 1 in which the brace is mounted on a rock shaft extending transversely of the chair and for which the chair provides bearings.

5. The combination with a chair having leg structure with rear legs having upper ends abutting the front legs when said legs are unfolded and a seat pivotally connected to said front and rear legs, ofa tablet arm at one side of the seat and having front and rear ends and side edges, and means for supporting the tablet arm from the leg structure for movement between a horizontal position of use, and a collapsed storage position along the side of said front and rear legs with said side edges of said tablet arm being located between said front and rear legs, said means including a support for the rear end of the tablet arm connected to one of said rear legs and offset laterally outwardly ofsaid rear leg and projecting beyond the upper end of said rear leg and having a double hinge connecting it with the tablet arm, said hinge having pintles substantially at right angles to each other, and a brace having a universal joint connecting it with the front end of the tablet arm and having a transverse pivotal connection with the chair, the universal joint including a locking sleeve rotatable on the reciprocable longitudinally of the brace and having releasable pin and groove means for locking it to the brace for supporting the tablet arm in a position for use, said pin and groove means being engaged and released by relative rotation of said sleeve between locked and unlocked positions, and said universal joint further including motion transmitting connections between the tablet arm and the locking sleeve for the rotation of the sleeve about the brace between said locked and unlocked positions.

6. A folding chair having a seat, front legs to which the seat is pivoted and which are joined above the seat, rear legs in pivotal connection with the seat and linkconnected with the front legs, a post attached to one of the rear legs and having a generally upright portion laterally offset therefrom and having a free end extending above said links, and above said rear legs a double hinge having a leaf portion provided with a first pivot on which it is pivotally connected with the free end of the post upon a transverse axis and also having a second pintle on an axis extending from front to rear, another leaf portion pivotally connected with the first leaf portion upon said last mentioned pintle, a tablet arm pivotal connection with said sleeve and a pivotal conhaving a rear end mounted on the last mentioned leaf portion and movable on the last mentioned pintle between a generally horizontal position of use and an onedge position in a vertical plane, a rock shaft beneath the seat, means providing bearings in which the rock shaft is oscillatable, a brace connected with the rock shaft and extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom, a locking sleeve rotatably and slideably mounted on the brace, a universal joint connected with a forward portion of the tabletarm and with said locking sleeve for communicating rotative movement to the locking sleeve when the tablet arm is moved pivotally between the aforesaid positions, the brace having a locking pin with projecting ends and the sleeve having a circumferential channel with which said pin ends are engaged in one rotative position of the sleeve, said sleeve further having longitudinal channels through which said pins are movableto permit the sliding movement of the sleeve on the brace when the sleeve is in another position of rotative movement with respect to the brace,

the tablet arm forward portion being relieved of support of said brace in the last mentioned position of the sleeve, whereby said tablet arm may be lowered about nection with the tablet arm which is normal to the bottom of said arm, said last connection including a plate rotatable beneath said arm and an annular retainer providing a bearing within which said plate is confined for such rotation.

9. The combination with a folding chair having from and rear legs and means pivotally connecting said legs,

and a seat, ofa tablet arm having side edges and a brace supporting it from a front leg, means for connecting said brace to said tablet arm and having means supporting said tablet arm from a rear leg and including a post fixedly connected with the rear leg and offset laterally therefrom, and hinge means connecting said post with said tablet arm to afford tilting mvvement of said tablet arm with respect to said post and vertical swinging movement of the tablet arm with respect to said post, with said tablet arm being movable from an erect position for use to a collapsed storage position with said means for connecting said brace to said tablet arm and said side edges of said tablet arm being located between said front and rear legs when said tablet arm is in the collapsed storage position. 

1. The combination with a folding chair having front and rear legs with the upper end of said rear legs abutting said front legs when said chair is unfolded for use, and means pivotally connecting said legs, and a seat, of a tablet arm having a brace supporting it from a front leg, a post connected with the rear leg and offset laterally therefrom and projecting beyond the upper end of said rear leg, and means at the upper end of said post pivotally connecting said tablet arm to said post to afford movement of said tablet arm between a generally horizontal position of use, a position alongside the unfolded chair and a collapsed storage pOsition generally parallel to said seat.
 2. A combination according to claim 1 in which said means at the upper end of said post pivotally connecting said tablet arm to said post comprises a double hinge connecting said arm with said post, said hinge including hinge elements and connecting pintles which are at right angles to each other for accomodating tilting movement of the tablet arm with respect to the post and vertical swinging movement of the tablet arm with respect to the post.
 3. A combination according to claim 1 in which the tablet arm is provided with a sleeve axially reciprocable upon the brace, the sleeve and brace having interacting pin and groove means for locking the sleeve to the brace when the tablet arm is in a position for use, and means universally connecting the sleeve with the tablet arm for transmitting motion from the tablet arm to the sleeve for actuating the sleeve in locking and releasing directions of movement with regard to the brace.
 4. A combination according to claim 1 in which the brace is mounted on a rock shaft extending transversely of the chair and for which the chair provides bearings.
 5. The combination with a chair having leg structure with rear legs having upper ends abutting the front legs when said legs are unfolded and a seat pivotally connected to said front and rear legs, of a tablet arm at one side of the seat and having front and rear ends and side edges, and means for supporting the tablet arm from the leg structure for movement between a horizontal position of use, and a collapsed storage position along the side of said front and rear legs with said side edges of said tablet arm being located between said front and rear legs, said means including a support for the rear end of the tablet arm connected to one of said rear legs and offset laterally outwardly of said rear leg and projecting beyond the upper end of said rear leg and having a double hinge connecting it with the tablet arm, said hinge having pintles substantially at right angles to each other, and a brace having a universal joint connecting it with the front end of the tablet arm and having a transverse pivotal connection with the chair, the universal joint including a locking sleeve rotatable on the reciprocable longitudinally of the brace and having releasable pin and groove means for locking it to the brace for supporting the tablet arm in a position for use, said pin and groove means being engaged and released by relative rotation of said sleeve between locked and unlocked positions, and said universal joint further including motion transmitting connections between the tablet arm and the locking sleeve for the rotation of the sleeve about the brace between said locked and unlocked positions.
 6. A folding chair having a seat, front legs to which the seat is pivoted and which are joined above the seat, rear legs in pivotal connection with the seat and link-connected with the front legs, a post attached to one of the rear legs and having a generally upright portion laterally offset therefrom and having a free end extending above said links, and above said rear legs a double hinge having a leaf portion provided with a first pivot on which it is pivotally connected with the free end of the post upon a transverse axis and also having a second pintle on an axis extending from front to rear, another leaf portion pivotally connected with the first leaf portion upon said last mentioned pintle, a tablet arm having a rear end mounted on the last mentioned leaf portion and movable on the last mentioned pintle between a generally horizontal position of use and an on-edge position in a vertical plane, a rock shaft beneath the seat, means providing bearings in which the rock shaft is oscillatable, a brace connected with the rock shaft and extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom, a locking sleeve rotatably and slideably mounted on the brace, a universal joint connected with a forward portion of the tablet arm and with said locking sleeve for communicating rotative mOvement to the locking sleeve when the tablet arm is moved pivotally between the aforesaid positions, the brace having a locking pin with projecting ends and the sleeve having a circumferential channel with which said pin ends are engaged in one rotative position of the sleeve, said sleeve further having longitudinal channels through which said pins are movable to permit the sliding movement of the sleeve on the brace when the sleeve is in another position of rotative movement with respect to the brace, the tablet arm forward portion being relieved of support of said brace in the last mentioned position of the sleeve, whereby said tablet arm may be lowered about the first mentioned pivot of the double hinge, whereby the tablet arm may be swung downwardly beside the chair seat.
 7. A folding chair according to claim 6 in which the front and rear legs and seat of said chair are foldable into substantially parallel planes and the tablet arm is pivotally movable about the axis of the second mentioned pintle of said double hinge to a position in a plane parallel with and in front of the planes aforesaid.
 8. A foldable chair according to claim 6 in which said universal joint comprises a yoke having a transverse pivotal connection with said sleeve and a pivotal connection with the tablet arm which is normal to the bottom of said arm, said last connection including a plate rotatable beneath said arm and an annular retainer providing a bearing within which said plate is confined for such rotation.
 9. The combination with a folding chair having front and rear legs and means pivotally connecting said legs, and a seat, of a tablet arm having side edges and a brace supporting it from a front leg, means for connecting said brace to said tablet arm and having means supporting said tablet arm from a rear leg and including a post fixedly connected with the rear leg and offset laterally therefrom, and hinge means connecting said post with said tablet arm to afford tilting mvvement of said tablet arm with respect to said post and vertical swinging movement of the tablet arm with respect to said post, with said tablet arm being movable from an erect position for use to a collapsed storage position with said means for connecting said brace to said tablet arm and said side edges of said tablet arm being located between said front and rear legs when said tablet arm is in the collapsed storage position. 